Im having some problems, Originally this clutch slipped when I drove it the first time, It also grabbed or chattered just a bit upon engagement. I adjusted the fingers 1/2 turn. that solved the slipping, but the grabbing or rough engagement didnt totally disapear. After 10 miles or so - slipped again, so another 1/2 turn on ther fingers. I think now after maybe another 10 miles or so, I solved the slipping, but the rough engagement is still there. Tell me please, lever half way back in a good nuetral, should the fingers be just slightly loose? what is the proper way to adjust this clutch. I do have the lever and clevis adjusted correctly with the clevis pin clearance of 1/16 th. And in low, the pedal is 1 inch off the floor. So how can I really be sure when the fingers are really tight enough, and could tightening them a bit more solve this rough engagement? I dont have any problem driving my other car, but then again, it has the standard clutch.

First, make sure the lever doesn't contact the front of the floor boards or the slot, or it may be not letting you get fully engaged. I adjust mine so that all 3 fingers tighten up at the same time. This may mean loosening one and tightening another until they are as close as possible. The clutch spring, when fully engaged, or decompressed, should measure 2 inches long. You may need to tighten or loosen all three to get this. Yes, the fingers should be all loose when the lever is pulled back for a neutral. I heard that some of the earlier Watts clutches had a bad spring that slipped and altered how it worked.

Thanks - I will look into that. Yes there was a watts spring problem, but I bought the new improved version from R.V. Anderson, and should be ok there. I am thinking that the problem is the adjustment of those 3 fingers, and so I will see if I can tell if they are all in about the same position when I have the lever half way back. there is just something I think minor here that Im not finding. I close the throttle, and then go from low to high with the pedel. I can move the pedel slow and gently, or fairly fast - in either case the car shakes and the clutch grabs or chatters before full engagement. After it engages, it is fine, I can add full throttle and it does not slip.

John, you might check for abnormal wear or breakage on one or two of those fingers. Another possible problem area is that one or more of the drum lugs are too badly worn to allow even, smooth seating of the disks. It is this even seating's being prevented that is causing the issue.

One more thing I do is paint two of the fingers with two different colors. That way when your up front cranking you wont go past the next finger and tighten one up twice. I would do this no matter what clutch you are using. The paint will stay as long as you own the car.

What technique do you use when shifting to high? If you're not backing off the throttle to let the engine speed match the car's speed before you fully release the clutch pedal then you can get a rough shift. Simply revving up in low then immediately shifting to high will make a rough shift regardless of the clutch or the clutch adjustment.

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